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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27471361">(not so) Lost Girls</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyanophyceae/pseuds/Cyanophyceae'>Cyanophyceae</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, MikAnnie useless lesbians AU basically, Useless Lesbians</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:01:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,245</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27471361</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyanophyceae/pseuds/Cyanophyceae</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Late into the night, Mikasa suddenly decided to proposed to her friend Annie. This didn't go as smooth as she hoped...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mikasa Ackerman/Annie Leonhart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>137</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>(not so) Lost Girls</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At 1 in the morning  the streets were almost empty and most of the lights in the neighborhood houses were extinguished. A young woman was hastily walking down the street, the only noise disrupting the silence of the night was her high heels on the pavement. </p><p>Mikasa went out of the gym past midnight, completely exhausted. She dragged her aching body to the nearest bus stop and slouched on the empty bench.  She sighed and leaned her head against the glass board. She had a busy day and needed to rest.</p><p>Today she received patients without appointments at the physiotherapist clinic, and as usual she had to extend her work hours to take care of them all. Then, she had to hit the gym even though it was late, she has a strict planning when it comes to sport practice. </p><p>The bus finally came, and as she got on it her stomach started to growl. She was starving after overexerting herself. Since she was too tired to cook something she decided to stopped a bit at Annie's pub before going back home to finally embraced her bed. </p><p>The pub was located near Elephant and Castle station. It was on her way home from Berdmonsey clinic, and since Annie closed the bar every night she often stopped there after work to eat or drink while chatting with her friend.</p><p>Annie co-owned the pub with her father. It was an old pub mostly frequented by expatriate slavic living in London. The customer base was the same since decades, and Mikasa often saw the same faces everytime she stopped there. They were mostly big bearded middle-aged men and students who were singing or laughing out loud when they weren't busy chugging down beers. Mikasa liked this pub, not only because it was runned by her friend, but also because the atmosphere was warm and friendly, and she always felt like home there. </p><p>She got out of the bus and started walking down the street. It was cold in this late october night, the air was moist and the pavement was still damped with the previous rain. </p><p>Mikasa sighed. Lately she started to get tired of this routine. Waking up early, taking the cramped bus to the clinic, working her ass off and strugling to keep a reasonable schedule, going to the gym, taking the cramped bus back home to finally collapsed on her bed, completely spent. She had the same schedule since she found a post and moved back to London. The change was exciting at first, but eventually everything became steadier. In highschool, she was looking forward to be a university student, at uni she was looking forward to start her professional life, and now that she was finally working she wasn't really looking forward for something anymore. Her life was stagnating and it started to dwell on her. </p><p>Mikasa picked up the pace as it started to pour again. She groaned, this day will really be the death of her. </p><p>Stopping at Annie's pub was a breath of fresh air in her well-structured life. Drinking beers while complaining about her annoying patients to the little blond who was abstractedly listening became her favorite way of relaxing lately, therefore she tried to come here as much as her schedule allowed her to. </p><p>Mikasa finally arrived and pushed back the old pub's door. It was almost empty, at this time of the night there wasn't a lot of client left. Annie was behind the counter where nobody was sitting. Mikasa sat at her usual spot and began to take her drenched coat off. </p><p>"Hi Annie"</p><p>"We are closing in 40 minutes" said Annie without looking at her friend. Piles of bills were aligned before her, and she was scribbling things on several notebooks.</p><p>"It's okay, I just want to eat something real quick, then I will go home"</p><p>"We don't serve meal this late in the night" deadpaned Annie, still counting her bills.</p><p>"But you'll make a tiny exception for me, right?" said Mikasa in a sweet, smooth voice. Annie finally looked up at her, and Mikasa offered her most radiant smile.</p><p>"...right" She finally put bills and notebooks away. "I'll see if there is anything left in the kitchen"</p><p>Mikasa thanks her. She was silently celebrating her victory on the little blond. If she has refused to serve her food, she probably would have gone to bed on an empty stomach.</p><p>Waiting for her dinner, she looked around her. The atmosphere was comfy : the lights were dim, the heater was high, and there was faint folk music playing in the background. She started to relaxed for real, getting rid of all the stress from the day. </p><p>Annie went back from the kitchen with a plate of toasted ham and cheese sandwich and salad. She put it in front of Mikasa.</p><p>"Here. Not really fresh out of the oven but that's all you deserve"</p><p>"Thank you Annie, you're so kind" Mikasa rubbed her hands together, nearly drooling in front of this more-than-welcome late diner. Today she hadn't eat anything besides a cheap cereal bar. Lately, she was too busy to have proper lunches at work, and too tired to cook elaborated diners at home, so any meal at Annie's pub was a luxury, even if it was quite plain.</p><p>She took a bite of her sandwich, and moaned heavily. "God, Annie this is so good. You're truly a chief"</p><p>"I just microwaved it, the real chief already went back home"   </p><p>"Still, this is the best 1 a.m. toasted ham and cheese sandwich I had in my whole life"</p><p>"Hm" Annie started to wash some glasses behind the counter and turned her back to Mikasa, leaving her to her food. </p><p>As she eated her meal, Mikasa looked intently at the small blond's back and lost herself into a deep reflexion. When she thought about it, she was around for most of her life. They first met in middle school when Annie and her father moved into the City. They've been to the same schools since then, until Mikasa moved to Norway for her physiotherapist studies. They had been friends for long, but friends as being part of the same circle of friends. They used to appreciated each others but never really hanged out outside of the band.</p><p>They became closer when Mikasa went back to London. Back then she felt quite overwhelmed because all of the goof friends she had left had changed and became busy adults with a stable life without her to see it, and she felt lonely. When she reunited with Annie, she was relieved to see that the little blond was still the same and always had time for her. Since then, they met almost everyday at the old pub, and occasionally when their friends gathered together. </p><p>Annie started a new conversation, pulling Mikasa out of her thoughts. "You came here late today"</p><p>"Ugh yeah harsh day...Had a load of annoying patients. I left late and still had to hit the gym"</p><p>"You could have skipped it for today"</p><p>"No, I already had to skipped it twice last week so..."</p><p>"Hm. Leg day?"</p><p>"Yes" She winced when she flexed her legs. "I might had overdo it a bit today"</p><p>"Idiot" Annie turned back to her glasses, and a comfortable silence settled back between them. </p><p>Mikasa leaned on the counter, her chin resting on her hand. She had finished her food, but didn't want to go back home so soon. She thought back of her relationship with Annie. To her, she was a force of nature. It was a mystery that someone can be so petite yet so strong.</p><p>At first her friend didn't planned to work here. She studied to become a veterinary assistant, but her father's health soon start deteriorating and it became difficult for him to run his business alone. Since the old pub was all he had, she decided to dropped her studies and to take care of the family business.</p><p>Annie and her father are very close to each other. They don't have any familly left beside them. Before they moved to London, they had a complicated family background in their old place. Small Annie and her father had to run away to start a new life here, and they were doing great until her father fell ill. Mikasa wasn't there to see it, but she knew it was a stressful time for little blond. She would have liked to be here for her.</p><p>Her father was feeling much better now though, but he hasn't recovered fully, so Annie is still keeping an eye on him. They are both running the pub at the moment, and they seemed happy doing so. </p><p>"Finished? Still hungry?" Annie came to clear her dishes.  </p><p>"No thank you"</p><p>She took a payment from the last client then went back to the sink to wash the plate. </p><p>Despite all that happend, Annie was still there, masterfully leading her business. It's been a few years now, and she didn't seemed to get bored of it. Mikasa liked to watched her working. She had that business face and had an iron grip with the customers. The regulars seemed to liked her anyway, since they knew she was the boss daughter. Annie didn't liked to be treated that way though. </p><p>Everybody here knew that you shouldn't messed up with her. Mikasa remembered the day when she had sent flying out a man about twice her height and three times her weight for her sake. An inhibited man saw the half-asian girl entering the pub and welcomed her with a "Hey Ching Chong, did you get lost on your way to Chinatown?". As the man was dead drunk and with pants threatening to fall on his ankle at any moment, she let it go and ignored him, but Annie immediately meddled in. She called him a racist junk and demanded excuses. The drunk man refused and they started to argued in russian. Mikasa knew some insults in russian, so she knew that Annie didn't really go easy on him. Then the big man slammed his fists on the counter and Annie darted to grabbed him by the collar and throwed him out of the pub without breaking a sweat. Annie went back behind the counter as if nothing happened, and Mikasa found it really, <i>really</i> hot.</p><p>Annie could be overprotective toward Mikasa. She sometimes couldn't contain herself and fussed over her about silly things like overexerting or not sleeping properly, and when she was doing this in front of their friends they were always teasing them. They talked about couple quarrels and called the little blond Mikasa's bitter old wife or her foster mom. Mikasa never really admitted it, but she kind of liked that. Knowing that their friends recognized their close relationship and assimilated it to something this fusional made her heart light. She always wondered if Annie was feeling the same.  </p><p>Since then, Mikasa often joked to herself that after work she had to hurry because her wife was waiting for her at the pub. This idea was absurd as much as the couple they would make. Annie, the angry little blond in a bathrobe and slippers, yelling at her for coming back home too late. The image made Mikasa chuckled.</p><p>
  <i>Heh, they're right, at this point it's almost as if we were married.</i>
</p><p>When she thought about it, the idea of them being married was not this absurd. It's been years since they knew each others, but sometimes Mikasa felt that Annie was at her side since for ever. The little blond was someone she can easily talked to, and she always instinctively relaxed around her. She felt that she was her true self with her, and didn't have to worry about restraining herself.</p><p>Mikasa never felt this overwhelmed over a friendship. Naturally she considered Annie as her best friend now, but in a way she knew that it was something more transcending. She was slightly confused about it, but never really put this much thoughts into it, feeling content just the way they were. However, deep inside, she knew she didn't want to be stuck in this state for ever, lost somewhere between intense friendship and...What? Love?  </p><p>Could it be really love? Was it really what she felt? She didn't know. Of course she felt good with Annie at her side, but was it really enough for them to start something more romantic? What will this change to their current relationship? If they were to start dating, they will probably seeing each other even more, perhaps living into the same cramped appartment. Maybe they will be also physically closer, calling each others by sweet names or so. </p><p>
  <i>Besides that, not much would change honestly.</i>
</p><p>Still, this is certainly something Mikasa wouldn't mind. She had already thought about it and it was a fact : she had a lot of tenderness for the little blond, more than she had for anyone else before. But to her, the feelings she had toward Annie were normal feelings best friends had for each others. She always managed to find a justification to them. For example, if she found Annie incredibly beautiful, it was simply because <i>well it's true, she is a very attractive woman.</i> If she craved Annie's touch, <i>It's been a long time since I dated someone so it's only natural to miss physical contact now.</i> If she missed her whenever she's not with her,<i>I feel a bit lonely lately since I can't really go out because of work, and Annie is basically my main source of friendly social interaction so...</i></p><p>Until now she didn't put the pieces of the puzzle together, or rather she was afraid to put it together and chose to ignored it. But right now, in the light of a new day, she started to question herself. What if indeed they were in love but didn't dared to confess because they thought their feelings weren't mutual? Did Annie even feel the same in the first place? She won't know if they stay the way they are right now. </p><p>
  <i>Well if we admit it's true, getting married is too much...</i>
</p><p>
  <i>...or not? it could be the change I need in my boring life?</i>
</p><p>She started to argue within herself, the wild and bored Mikasa had enough of her cowardice and sloth and wanted to take the lead upon her life. But proposing to Annie was too risky, what if she didn't had the same feelings as her and distanced herself from her? She won't, this is not Annie's type, and they had a too strong relationship for this to happen. If against all odd they get married, what if it didn't work between them? You can't know until you try, and getting divorced is easy these days. What if she didn't take it seriously? She will, you just have to be honest to your feelings. </p><p>She kept going on like this until finally Annie interrupted her. </p><p>"You're not very chatty tonight" She noticed Mikasa was awfully quiet, completely oblivious of her current internal struggle.</p><p>"Oh yeah sorry, I'm deadbeat right now"</p><p>"Hmm" Her tone was suspicious. She knew it was something else, but she let it go for now. </p><p>Annie went back to cleaning and a silence set back between them, not really comfortable this time.</p><p>
  <i>What are you waiting for? The pub is empty and Annie is not really busy, it is a perfect opportunity. Ask her, it's now or never!</i>
</p><p>"UUUUUUHG"  Mikasa groaned out loud and slammed her head on the counter. She didn't know what to do. The wild Mikasa urged her to talk. She had good arguments, and after a harsh day and at this point of the night, it didn't take much to convinced her. But still, how can she...</p><p>"You okay?" Annie interrupted her thoughts once again. She had turned to her, an eyebrow raised.</p><p>Mikasa hesitated a bit more, but eventually she sat up straight and took a deep breath. The words left her mouth as fast as they've started to sprout in her mind.</p><p>"Annie, would you like to marry me?" </p><p>"huh, yeah of course" said Annie with a blank face. She turned back to the sink.</p><p>
  <i>Really? Did she heard me? Perhaps...this is what she want too?</i>
</p><p>At this point she didn't knew if her friend was serious or not. She knew Annie was rather shy with emotions, but it was an unusual way to react at such an important question. Unfortunately for her, she was so nervous she missed the sarcasm in her friend's voice.</p><p>"Are you...are you serious?"</p><p>Annie finally stopped what she was doing to looked at her, Mikasa's serious tone disconcerted her. An eyebrow lifted, she asked "What?"</p><p>"I...I'm asking you if you want to marry me"</p><p>"Yes, and I'm asking if you are serious" </p><p>"Well...why not..." Mikasa's voice trailed. She didn't dared to look at the little blond in the eyes, instead she fidgeted her fingers. </p><p>Annie stared intently at her with her eyebrows furrowed, trying to figured out the joke in this proposal. Mikasa's nervousness told her that indeed she was serious, and when she understood it her stoic expression fell apart. Her friend's question completly destabilized her.</p><p>"What the fuck Mikasa? Are you okay? Does one of Reiner's musculation gear fell apart and landed on your head again? I swear I'm going to kill him and burn this old gym down"</p><p>"I'm okay!" Mikasa interrupted her. "The gym has nothing to do with it. I just thought that...well...it would be neat if we could get married"</p><p>"What are you even saying?!" </p><p>"And why not? This is not that crazy"</p><p>"Yes it is! it's coming out from nowhere!" </p><p>"It's not! Even the others are telling so, calling us wives and stuff"</p><p>"Ugh they're just a bunch of idiots doing everything they can to get on my nerves" Annie groaned while turning back and started to vigorously  wiping the counter. </p><p>"Still, I don't think they're totally wrong. Try to think about it, living under the same roof would be convenient for both of us. We could share chores and expenses, and I could help you out with the pub. This way you'll have more time to take care of your father"</p><p>Annie momentarily stopped wiping the counter, as if she was considering her offer. Mikasa took this opportunity.</p><p>"Annie it could work between us. We get along so well, and I know it would be fun"</p><p>"Maybe, but you seem to forget something important : people don't get married for fun"</p><p>"We won't just get married for fun. I...you..."</p><p>Mikasa took a deep breath. </p><p>"It's been a while since I noticed that there is...something else between us"</p><p>"And what is <i>something else</i>?" Annie said in an annoyed tone. </p><p>"I don't know...it's like...more than being friends I think?"</p><p>"You think?" Annie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Do you even realize you're asking me to marry you while you don't even know how you feel about me? Go home Mikasa, you're tired" She turned back to her business.</p><p>"No! Annie please listen to me. I know what I feel for you is stronger than friendship, I'm sure of it...I think i know it since...Do you remember when you and your cats moved with me last year because of the gaz leak at your old place? Even though my appartment is quite cramped, we cohabited just fine! I realized that I was looking forward to come back home everyday...And when you left, I suddenly felt so alone in my own place..."</p><p>Annie rolled her eyes "It was only one week" </p><p>"Still! Honestly it was one of the happiest time of my life."</p><p>"You must have a really shitty life then"</p><p>Annie had a comeback for any of her arguments, it started to discourage Mikasa. She knew she had to go all in to convinced her.</p><p>"Look, we've known each others for years, and our relationship is quite fusional you can't deny it. I always feel good when I'm with you, like really good. You're a big part of my life and to be honest I just can't imagine living without you now. This is why...I don't think I would mind having you by my side for like...forever" her voice trailed.</p><p>She was internally screaming. What was she even saying to her? She wanted to run away, to go home and hide under her blankets. But somehow, she was relieved to confess all of the feelings she had bottled up for months. Tonight she acknowledged out loud something she had fleeing for too long.</p><p>Annie was looking at her intently, it took her few seconds to process the sudden confession. Eventually she sighed heavily and said in a annoyed tone "Look, I won't marry you because of a crush you think you have, or because our stupid friends said we should do so. I'm busy with the pub, and you are busy with your patients and your own life.Come back down to earth Mikasa, we're not high-schoolers with childish dreams anymore, this is real life."</p><p>Her harsh answer caught Mikasa off-guard. In hindsight, this idea was very stupid. What was she expecting in the first place? For Annie to accept her proposal and for them to suddenly become a perfect couple? just because of a late night impulse? a gut feeling she had months ago? All of this was nonsense and Annie was right, this proposal was an irrational and childish whim.</p><p>"You're right. I don't know why I asked you that, I'm so tired I'm kinda out of my mind I guess....I'm sorry, I won't bother you with this anymore"  She said in a quiet voice. She didn't dare to look at Annie in the eyes. "It's getting late I should go back home" Mikasa slowly stood up to put her coat on. She grub a bill from her  wallet and placed it on the counter, then started leaving after mumbling a quick goodnight.</p><p>Annie helplessly watched her going. She had rarely seen her friend so sad. Mikasa wasn't crying nor throwing a tantrum, but the minor changes in her usually cool and calm demeanor were drastic and broke her heart. </p><p>As Mikasa was nearing the front doors, Annie sighed akwardly called her back. She just couldn't let her go like this.</p><p>"Mikasa this is not what I meant...please come back and sit down"</p><p>The black-haired girl hesitated for a bit. She hadn't the heart to talk anymore, she just wanted to come back home and crying herself to sleep. But what she feared the most was for them to never talked again afterward, so eventually she silently came to sat back on the stool.</p><p>Behind the counter, Annie seemed to hesitated. She didn't want to hurt Mikasa's feelings again, so it took her a while to find the right words. Eventually she leaned on the counter in front of Mikasa and talked in a softer voice "Listen...you're important to me too, and to be honest I feel the same about you...and for a long time" She looked away, a light blush on her cheeks. "I wouldn't mind for us to become more than friends but please don't ask me to marry you, it would be too much of a hassle. Maybe later, but for now let's just start with the dating stuff and all, okay?"</p><p>Mikasa's eyes widened. Did Annie just returned her feelings? Mikasa was confused. After such a harsh refusal Annie made it clear that she wasn't interested in her. Is she playing along to not hurt her? No, it definitely wasn't Annie's type. Annie opened her heart and was honest with her. She confirmed they felt the same way all this time, but neither of them made a move. </p><p>Mikasa's heart was beating fast. She still had troubles processing what just happened. All of this was crazy to say the least. If someone in the morning had told her that tonight she will be dating Annie she would have never believed it.</p><p>"Are you okay?" Annie's tone was concerned</p><p>"Yes sorry...of course I'd like to date you too"</p><p>"That's settled then" Annie gave her a bright smile "You should go back home now, you have to get up early tomorrow". She turned back to the cash register, as if nothing just happened.</p><p>Still dumbfounded, Mikasa eventually stood up and instinctively reached for her coat, before realizing that she already had it on.</p><p>"I'm...I'll come back tomorrow. Goodnight Annie"</p><p>" 'night" said nonchalantly Annie with a nod.</p><p>Mikasa got out of the pub and slowly started to walk back to her appartment.</p><p>Was this the real life? How Annie could stay so casual after all that happened? Well that didn't matter now, Mikasa was over the moon. Her heart was light, and she couldn't help smilling like an idiot. Maybe this wasn't the great change she had hoped for, but this was still exciting. She was eager to start her new life alongside Annie. </p><p>At 2 in the morning the streets were empty and all of the lights in the neighborhood houses were extinguished. A young woman was happily strolling down the street, the only noise disrupting the silence of the night was her high heels on the pavement.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I call this fic MikAnnie <i>existential crisis of londoners in their late 20's</i> AU.</p><p>This fic might be cringe or overly sweet, but I had <i>F. U. N.</i> writting it. Thanks for reading it!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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